(Host) Republican Governor-elect Jim Douglas has picked Elizabeth McLain to lead the Natural Resources Agency. McLain is a former legislator who worked in the agency in the 1990s. She says Douglas wants her to streamline the permit process without sacrificing the environment:
(McLain) “There’s two things he wants me to do as the secretary of natural resources. One is to work with the folks at the agency, to make sure that we’re open, accessible, clear and helpful with all of the folks who come to us with various questions or applications or proposals. The other is to look at the permit process for process improvements without a single negative environmental effect. And that’s the charge.”
(Host) Douglas also named business lobbyist Kevin Dorn as his new commerce secretary. Dorn was executive director of the Homebuilders and Remodelers Association of northern Vermont. Dorn says his top priority is to create jobs for Vermonters and to make it easier for business to grow:
(Dorn) “Right now I think we all need to come together to work on practical, realistic, but most importantly, effective reforms of the permit process. We need to not only do that as a practical, good government task but we also need to do that to show the business community and those who might invest in Vermont that we’re serious about creating a positive jobs environment here.”
(Host) Douglas also named Patricia McDonald as the new transportation secretary. McDonald has previously worked as motor vehicles commissioner and as personnel commissioner.